“This is Christ’s church. There is a place for you here.”
Pastor Barry – Emmaus Lutheran Church in Orange City Florida
ABOUT US
About Us
Emmaus Lutheran Church began as a small mission congregation in 1979. On February 26, 1979 Emmaus met as a congregation for the first time. A planning committee was formed and preparations began for the congregation’s first worship services.
The first worship services were held in the DeBary Community Center in the “Four Townes” area of Central Florida. One-hundred and seventy people gathered for services. A Charter Roll was opened in September 1979 and eighty-two adults signed it.
Three months later Emmaus was formally organized by Dr. Yount, president of the Florida Synod. Response from early members was that of a “Great Spiritual Success” and they voted unanimously to call Rev. Robert E. Kromer as the first pastor of Emmaus Church.
From there Emmaus strived to be self-supporting and raise funds in order to expand and grow. Early in 1982 a building committee was organized and by October of `83 new church facilities (three buildings set around a courtyard) were dedicated to the glory of God. With continued growth and interest Emmaus became a member congregation of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).
MEET THE PASTOR
Pastor Barry Hunteman
Bio
I am the son of Rev Paul R. and Mabel Hunteman, born in Springfield, Ohio when my father was attending Wittenberg University after WW II and the GI Bill. He went on to become a Lutheran Pastor. My ministry has been built on the shoulders of my father who instilled his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and blessed me with God’s love and support throughout his life.
I began my ministry in 1974 at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Princeton, Indiana nine years after graduating from high school there. Kay and I moved to answer another call to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Louisville, Kentucky in 1976. After six years ministry took us to King of Glory Lutheran Church in New Port Richey, Florida where I became an Associate Pastor of a large congregation in this retirement community.
In 1990, I was called to be Senior Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in north Tampa and concluded my ministry in July of 1998. A new chapter of ministry opened for me when the ELCA screened me to see if I qualified as a Mission Developer and I was issued a call by the ELCA to come to The Villages, Florida, a small town of 18,000 people, to begin a mission congregation.
I spent the last 19 years of ministry sharing Go’s love in Christ after being called to be the mission’s first Pastor, which became Hope Lutheran Church in The Villages. The congregation was organized self-supporting after one year on the anniversary of its first service, Reformation Day 1999. These communities of faith were God’s blessing to many people over my 42 years of ministry and I retired from full ministry in 2017.
In August of 2022, I received a request from the Florida Bahamas Synod to consider becoming an Interim Pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church in Orange City, Florida. The congregation council approved my appointment and I am currently serving part-time in a truly remarkable fellowship of believers once again.
